Harvey a hometown hero

in Calgary won the prestigious 50-km world championship title in Lahti, Finland and then finished first in a 1.5-km freestyle sprint on Quebec’s famous battlefield.

That’s like watching Usain Bolt claim a 100-metre world title and following that up with a victory at the Boston Marathon.

“The world championships is a bigger event, but to win at home like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Harvey, a media darling in his home province. “I’m just so happy I was able to do it today. You always need a little bit of luck in sprint racing, and I was lucky.”

Lucky is not a word anyone would use to describe Harvey’s success on the Nordic circuit. The 28-year-old from Saint-Ferreolles-Neiges, Que. is one of Canada’s most dominant athletes in any sport.

Regardless of the distance, regardless of the technique, Harvey is a medal threat in every race.

The three-time Olympian sits third overall in the World Cup standings with two races to go.

“I was just floating today,” said Harvey, who has 23 World Cup medals and five world championship medals. “That is always the plan, but it doesn’t always work out. It just felt easy.”

In Friday’s final, Harvey jostled for position with Norway’s Finn Haagen Krogh before bolting ahead for good on the final corner.

As customary for all Canadian podium performances, Harvey cut loose in the finish area by playing an air guitar.

“More gold,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on Twitter. “This time on home snow in Quebec City. Keep gliding to victory & making us proud, Alex.”

Ottawa’s Mirela Rahneva capped off her rookie World Cup skeleton season Friday by finishing fifth in an Olympic test event in PyeongChang, South Korea. The 28-year-old slider ends the year in third place overall in the World Cup standings with one gold medal, one silver and two bronze. “I can’t believe I ended up third overall,” she said. “It’s very exciting, but I also am looking for more next year. I have a ton more work to get to where I’d like to be, but that’s what summer is for.” Rahneva is expected once again balance her training in Calgary this summer with working part-time in the catering department at Winsport’s Canada Olympic Park.